Delphinium plant named ‘ET DLP 17-03’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Delphinium  plant named ‘ET DLP 17-03’, characterized by its relatively compact, upright and sturdy plant habit; relatively small dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; strong flowering stems with dense inflorescences with numerous violet blue-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Delphinium elatum X (Delphinium x belladonna).

Cultivar denomination: ‘ET DLP 17-03’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION AND STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTORS/APPLICANTS

This application claims priority to a European Community Plant Breeders' Rights application filed on Nov. 1, 2019, application number 2019/2769. There have been no offers for sale anywhere in the world prior to the effective filing date of this Application and no accessibility to one of ordinary skill in the art could have been derived from the printed Plant Breeder's Rights documents.

The Inventors/Applicants assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventors/Applicants. Inventors/Applicants claim a prior art exemption under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Delphinium plant, botanically known as Delphinium elatum X (Delphinium x belladonna), typically grown as a perennial garden plant and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘ET DLP 17-03’.

The new Delphinium plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Boijl, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new relatively compact and strong Delphinium plants with dense inflorescences and unique and attractive flower colors.

The new Delphinium plant originated from a cross-pollination in July, 2012 of a proprietary selection of Delphinium elatum identified as code number 1406, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Delphinium x belladonna identified as code number 578, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Delphinium plant was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Boijl, The Netherlands in July, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Delphinium plant by in vitro meristem culture in a controlled environment in Boijl, The Netherlands, since September, 2015 has shown that the unique features of this new Delphinium plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Delphinium have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘ET DLP 17-03’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘ET DLP 17-03’ as a new and distinct Delphinium plant:

-   -   1. Relatively compact, upright and sturdy plant habit.     -   2. Relatively small dark green-colored leaves.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Strong flowering stems with dense inflorescences with         numerous violet blue-colored flowers.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Delphinium differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Delphinium have shorter and stronger         upright flowering stems than plants of the female parent         selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Delphinium have denser foliage than plants         of the female parent selection.     -   3. Flowering stems of plants of the new Delphinium are branching         whereas flowering stems of plants of the female parent selection         are not branching.

Plants of the new Delphinium differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Delphinium have shorter and stronger         upright flowering stems than plants of the male parent         selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Delphinium are more compact than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   3. Flowering stems of plants of the new Delphinium are branching         whereas flowering stems of plants of the male parent selection         are not branching.

Plants of the new Delphinium can be compared to plants of Delphinium elatum ‘Flamingo Star’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Delphinium differ primarily from plants of ‘Flamingo Star’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Delphinium are more compact than plants of         ‘Flamingo Star’.     -   2. Plants of the new Delphinium have stronger flowering stems         than plants of ‘Flamingo Star’.     -   3. Flowering stems of plants of the new Delphinium are branching         whereas flowering stems of plants of ‘Flamingo Star’ are not         branching.     -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Delphinium are violet blue in         color whereas flowers of plants of ‘Flamingo Star’ are pink in         color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the Delphinium plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Delphinium plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1 of 2) comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘ET DLP 17-03’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2 of 2) is a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘ET DLP 17-03’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the following description were grown in ground beds and 26-cm containers during the spring and summer in an outdoor nursery in Boijl, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Delphinium production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 23° C. and night temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 16° C. Plants were one year old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Delphinium elatum X (Delphinium x     belladonna) ‘ET DLP 17-03’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Delphinium             elatum identified as code number 1406, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Delphinium             x belladonna identified as code number 578, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type of propagation.—In vitro meristem culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 12 to 16 days at             temperatures ranging from 15° C. to 21° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 15 to 25 days at             temperatures ranging from 12° C. to 15° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About four             weeks at temperatures ranging from 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About five to             six weeks at temperatures ranging from 12° C. to 15° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             close to 11A in color, actual color of the roots is             dependent on substrate composition, water quality,             fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and             physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Plant and growth habit.—Relatively compact, upright and             sturdy plant habit; moderately vigorous to vigorous growth             habit and moderate growth rate; freely branching habit.         -   Plant height.—About 65 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 40 cm to 50 cm. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate or whorled towards the plant base.         -   Length.—About 6 cm to 10 cm.         -   Width.—About 10 cm to 15 cm.         -   Shape.—Palmately lobed with three to five lobes per leaf.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Cordate.         -   Margin.—Entire and incised.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Slightly pubescent; smooth.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Slightly pubescent; rough.         -   Venation pattern.—Palmate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 137A; venation, close to 144C. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B; venation,             close to 144C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 5 cm to 12 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm             to 5 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Pubescent; smooth. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 144B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Double star-shaped flowers             arranged on dense terminal racemes; flowers face mostly             outwardly.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit with about 30 to 40             flowers developing per inflorescence and more than 500             flowers per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period; plants             flower continuously during the spring and summer in The             Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about two weeks on the plant;             flowers not persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2 cm to 3 cm. Diameter: About 1             cm to 2 cm. Shape: Ovate. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Close to 145D.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 25 cm to 35 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 10 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 3 cm to 5 cm.         -   Flower height.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: About three to five             crowded in the center of the flower. Length: About 1.5 mm.             Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Color: When opening and             fully developed, upper surface: Close to 98B; towards the             center and base, mixed with close to N87D; with development,             color becoming closer to 98B. When opening and fully opened,             lower surface: Close to 98B; towards the center and base,             mixed with close to N87D; with development, color becoming             closer to 98B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: About 15 to 20 arranged in             several whorls. Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm.             Shape: Obovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             satiny. Color: When opening and fully developed, upper             surface: Close to 98B; towards the center and base, mixed             with close to N87D; with development, color becoming closer             to 98B. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close             to 98B; towards the center and base, mixed with close to             N87D; with development, color becoming closer to 98B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 60 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm.             Aspect: Erect. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Close to 144B to 144C.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2 cm to 3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm             to 5 mm. Aspect: About 45° from peduncle axis. Strength:             Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close             to 144B to 144C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Numerous,             variable. Filament length: About 1 mm to 2 mm. Filament             color: Close to 155A. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length:             About 1 mm to 2 mm. Anther color: Close to 1A to 1D. Pollen             amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 10A. Pistils:             Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 1 mm to 3 mm.             Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: Close to 155A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Delphinium. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Delphinium     have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Delphinium plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Delphinium have exhibited good     garden performance and to be tolerant to rain, wind and temperatures     ranging from −20° C. to 40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Delphinium plant named ‘ET DLP 17-03’ as illustrated and described. 